Effectiveness of dry needling on pain & disability in athletes with iliotibial band tightness- a clinical trial

Introduction

Dry needling (DN) for Myofascial trigger points (MTrP's) can be done on superficial or deep tissue levels for the management of a range of neuromusculoskeletal pain disorders. There is still much to learn about dry needling, despite the fact that it has been demonstrated to be useful for a variety of illnesses. The aim of the current study was to determine the effectiveness of DN with stretching on pain and disability in the treatment of athletes with iliotibial band (ITB) tightness.

Design

A Clinical Trial.

Methods

For this study, 38 athletes both male and female, aged between 18 to 28 years, with tight iliotibial bands were divided into two groups: DN (n = 19) [Mean age (Years) 21.11 ± 2.96, Height (Cm) 171.16 ± 8.97, Weight (Kg) 63.73 ± 14.12, BMI (Kg/m²) 21.68 ± 3.53] and control group (n = 19) [Mean age 20.26 ± 2.37 (Years), Height (Cm) 166.31 ± 7.97, Weight (Kg) 56.02 ± 9.49, BMI (Kg/m²) 20.17 ± 2.39] who received ITB stretching. As outcome measures both before and after the treatment, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) were used.

Results

The difference in pain and functional scale was assessed using paired and unpaired t-tests. Post-treatment, individuals who received DN showed statistically greater improvements in pain (p = 0.000) and disability (p = 0.001) than those who received stretching.

Conclusion

According to this trial's findings, three sessions of DN with stretching are more effective at reducing pain and enhancing iliotibial band functionality.